Ingram bends Phoenix, Butler too hard for Atlanta

The results of the night in the NBA

Hawks @ Heat : 105-115 (0-2)
Wolves @ Grizzlies : 96-124 (1-1)
Pelicans @ Suns : 125-114 (1-1)

PODCAST: Focus on the start of the playoffs, the Warriors are starting to scare again

– In our podcast of the week and in Antoine’s article on the X factors of this 1st round, we targeted Brandon Ingram as an element that could tickle Phoenix a little. The former Laker did a little more than that in Game 2 of the series between NOLA and the Suns. He squarely guided his team to a feat and a victory on the floor of the best NBA team of the season to tie at 1-1.

Ingram’s huge game (37 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists), the ability of the Pelicans to be better than the Suns in the 4th quarter and the injury of Devin Booker in the 3rd allowed this quite resounding upset.

When Booker (31 pts) left the field because of a pain in the right thigh, there was only three points difference between the two teams. Phoenix never knew how to regain his composure and address, taking waves in the face, initiated by Ingram or CJ McCollum (23 pts). The 17 points and 14 assists of Chris Paul were not enough.

Phoenix is capable of winning a series against New Orleans without Devin Booker, but it is much more uncertain for the rest of the operations. We’re waiting to hear from the All-Star fullback, but that’s exactly the kind of thing that can derail a title favorite, however unfortunate that may be.

We trust Monty Williams to involve other players and find the right formula if Devin Booker were to miss matches, but it’s still annoying.

A culprit seems to be designated to explain the bad fate that befell Booker: this baby, who probably passed on a bad fluid to him.

Devin Booker dapped up a baby after this shot. pic.twitter.com/HrZpAEY8R4

— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) April 20, 2022

– The Grizzlies were on a mission to play harder and not let Wolves’ big offensive talents play out. The mission was successful, even if it was at the expense of the show. Memphis won by a wide margin, managing to emerge alive from a first quarter marked by the sign of butchery. The referees whistled no less than 20 fouls over the first 12 minutes – sometimes being overzealous – which considerably broke the rhythm.

And Morant and his comrades got used to it, the All-Star point guard almost finishing in a triple-double (23 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds), with the luxury of spending the last 5 minutes of the game on the bench. Steven Adams sent a mandal to Vanderbilt after 3 minutes of play and did not see the field again, while Patrick Beverley also took an express technical foul to calm his agitation.

Ja helps the @memgrizz knot the series!

23 points
9 boards
10 assists

Game 3: Thursday, 7:30pm/et, TNT pic.twitter.com/m0hZdAowuM

— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2022

The Memphis bench was decisive: 60-43, with good contributions from Xavier Tillman, Ziaire Williams or Brandon Clarke. Anthony Edwards (20 pts at 7/16) and Karl-Anthony Towns (15 pts, 11 rbds) did not weigh more than that on the meeting.

– We didn’t really go for a series of suspense between Miami and Atlanta. Unsurprisingly, the Heat validated a second success at home before the series flew to Georgia. However, the Hawks made a good figure and Trae Young even managed to shoot 50% (25 pts at 10/20) despite the defensive treatment reserved for him by the Floridians, who still made him lose 10 balls.

Atlanta might have hoped to emulate the Pelicans if Jimmy Butler hadn’t been on the Heat’s side. Butler was phenomenal and completely unplayable for Nate McMillan’s team, especially when it took Miami to pull away late in the game. “Jimmy Buckets” broke his playoff record with 45 points on the clock, with 7 straight points in money time to close the deal.

The former Bulls and Wolves player shot 15/25 adding 11 points on the line, with an inside fire that infected his partners and the South Beach public, happy to be able to enjoy the show of their best player in live, after his 2020 exploits in the bubble.